Consequences
by Tex110
Summary: Ivaylo's childhood was a rough one...if nobody knew the whole story. Perhaps that's why he's so guarded, so cautious, so meticulous...


**Author's Note: **This story was amazing fun to work with, thanks a million to A Amelia Black who allowed me to use her characters and gave me the idea!

It's rather short, this chapter is, but I have a lot more coming. I'm excited to continue with it. And just for reference, I will not abandon A Battle Without Weapons. Be warned that it will be a little bit before I get back with it. The angst was really laying onto me and I have no inspiration at the moment. So enjoy this fic with the promise that I will continue my other story!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own any of them. All the character's belong to Amelia as well as the basic plotline for the story.

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"Ouch, don't pull my ear! Velvel!"

Ivaylo snapped playfully at his brother as they tussled on the ground, kicking up glittering snow in their wake. Mira, their older sister, trailed closely and keeping the two of them within her sharp gaze. Her twin, Alier, was beside her.

"Ivaylo! Velvel!" the growl of their mother was lost in the snaps and yips of the mock battle.

The two youngest wolves of the small family charged ahead, snarling at each other and playing, excited in the cold, white snow.

Mira's bark of alarm was swiftly followed by an acid snarl.

"Ivaylo!" this time, the youngest wolf heard the growl. "Velvel!"

Ivaylo stopped mid-strike and turned around, ears swiveling backward to pin themselves along his skull. His mother was not one to be trifled with when angry. It seemed she was more prone to the emotion these days. Ivaylo consequently dropped into a submissive crouch. Velvel did the same, though he didn't look nearly as contrite.

Their mother, a stately silver-coated wolf, stalked up to them with a warning snarl.

"What did I just finish telling you?" she asked softly.

Ivaylo didn't have to try to hear the anger in her voice. He'd been on the receiving end of many talks like this. He glanced at Velvel-

"Don't look at your brother! Answer me!"

Ivaylo crouched lower, a whimper escaping through his nostrils.

"Don't get too far ahead," said Velvel, looking the she-wolf squarely in the eye.

"Exactly. Now get up and follow me. We're going home...quietly."

Velvel sprang to his feet as his mother turned away, almost as if he had just been promised a rabbit. Ivaylo rose slowly, wary of his mother's anger. He wasn't a coward...just much more careful than his haphazard brother.

"Come on, Ivaylo!" Velvel yipped, leaping a small length ahead encouragingly.

Ivaylo cast his mother's retreating back a glance before springing at his brother and tackling him. Velvel impacted the ground with a growl. He rolled underneath Ivaylo and put all fours on his brother's underside. Then he pushed upward with all his might. Ivaylo went flying and hit a nearby tree with a thump.

"Velvel!"

Mira's dark pelt flashed into view beside him, anger flashing through amber eyes at her younger brother.

"Didn't you hear anything mother said?" she snapped, alarm in her clipped tone.

Velvel snorted and sat up, beginning to pant, his brother tongue lolling about out the side of his mouth. His breath came out in puffs of mist, evaporating into the air.

"Of course I heard what she said," the young wolf scoffed, ears pricking defiantly.

There was a howl and Alier, as darkly coated as his twin, darted from the trees and threw Velvel to the ground with a heavy paw and a rough snarl. Velvel whimpered in surprise and his ears instantly flattened.

"Remember your place," Alier snarled angrily, hackles raised in an ugly threat.

Velvel flipped onto his back, exposing his belly. The most submissive position a wolf could take upon himself.

There was a sharp bark from Mira. Alier backed away, though his expression never relented. Velvel panted for a moment, eyes flicking between his older siblings as he lay flat on his back. Mira flicked her tail and brushed past Velvel and then past Ivaylo who remained crouched at the base of the tree. Alier growled menacingly before bounding after her. They disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Ivaylo padded over to his brother, nudging him with his nose.

"You ought to me more careful," he advised solemnly. "I don't think I've seen Alier that angry before."

Velvel stood, shaking and sending little clumps of snow everywhere.

"He'll be alright," said Velvel confidently, walking forward.

Ivaylo matched strides.

"It's this winter. It's affecting everyone," Velvel continued. "Mother, father, Alier, even Mira is on edge these days."

"Something's wrong," said Ivaylo worriedly. "I don't think the snow is supposed to say here for this long. And that funny lady who we saw at the other edge of the lake the other day? The one mother had us hide from? She's the one everyone says is causing the winter."

Velvel swung his tail around and thumped Ivaylo's flank good-naturedly.

"Don't worry, Ivaylo, we'll be safe enough. It's almost spring."

Ivaylo began to relax at his brother's confident words. He'd always been like that, Velvel had. Confident and unflappable, easy and very relaxed concerning just about everything. Ivaylo adored him for that. Ivaylo had never been able to be that confident...it wasn't his nature. He was cautious and a little bit more rule-abiding.

The brothers lapsed into a comfortable silence. Ivaylo focused his gaze on the white snow below him as he thought on everything that had been happening. It was certainly strange for the snow to be staying for this long...normally the south was warming up around now. These days it remained frigid. Ivaylo's tail wagged back and forth nervously.

Maybe it was because several of their friends had spoken of the white lady...they said she had come to gather an army. An army to fight along side her. They didn't speak highly of her. From what Ivaylo had gathered from eavesdropping, she was cruel.

A dark feeling crept up on him. He looked up.

It was then that he realized he'd wandered from the company of his brother.

"Velvel?" he yipped uncertainly.

It was a soft yip. He wanted to bark out his brother's name and tell him it wasn't funny if he were playing a game, but something told him not to. Was it possible that the snowy weather was influencing him as well? Ivaylo instinctively dropped into a low crouch, his belly hair just brushing the surface of the snow as he found his family's scent trail.

Ivaylo hurried along the trail, body rippling darkly against the snow. Then he heard a sharp yip. Velvel! Ivaylo darted towards the sound, the scent becoming stronger and stronger. Then he came to the place where his family was. He could see their pelts through the snowy bushes.

He crept to the edge of the brush, unsure of the situation. His fear scent, mingled with that of his siblings' and his parents' reached his nose. He quietly pushed his face through the branches to see what was happening.

Sharp eyes took in the scene. The funny white lady he had seen from afar a few days ago towered above his family. Now Ivaylo knew why his mother had ordered them to hide from her the other day. She made him want to slink away into his den.

There was a low growl.

"We will not."

It was Ivaylo's father, Romul. A magnificent black wolf. Huge. He stood defiantly, his ears forward, snarl on his face. Ivaylo froze, watching nervously from his hidden position.

"You will not?" the white lady repeated dangerously. "Even after my offer?"

"Your offer is nothing!" Romul snarled ferociously, lunging forward a step to emphasize his point. "We serve only the one true king, Aslan."

The lady's face twisted into an ugly mask of anger.

"Aslan," she spat the name distastefully.

Ivaylo's fur twitched in anger. He was young, true, but he knew the depth and the meaning of the name. His family revered it. They spoke it with a certain awe, and with that came a certain excitement and a sense of power. The way the woman threw the word from her lips made anger flare in Ivaylo.

"He hasn't been around for more than twenty years," the woman scoffed. "how can you say that he is a king if he is never around? What has he done for you?"

"Aslan has given us everything," Romul countered swiftly with a growl. "He does not need to be here to govern us. He has given us the benefit of his trust."

"Trust is a matter of perspective," the woman said with a smile that made Ivaylo's hair raise in alarm. "You become loyal to me, I will trust you."

Ivaylo's eyes shot to Velvel. He was terrified by what he saw in his brother's face. A hopeful, almost acceptant look.

/_Don't listen to her, Velvel,_/ He pleaded silently.

"Will you not take my offer?" the lady asked. "This is your final chance. Refuse and you are condemned."

Several soft growls answered her. The woman twirled the long, lethal looking silver stick in her hand absently.

"Well then-"

"I will."

There was a dead silence. Ivaylo's hackles rose in alarm. Everyone turned to Velvel...

The silvery wolf was looking almost embarrassed, but hope had flared in his expression.

The woman smiled.

"And your name is?"

"Velvel," said the wolf.

Ivaylo couldn't move. How could Velvel even consider this! A growl began to rise in his throat.

"Thank you, Velvel," said the woman. "Come along then, we will leave at once. We will leave these fools...forget them."

She turned away, but something in her voice told Ivaylo she would not be forgetting his family any time soon. She would come back. And she would hurt them.

Velvel rose and walked to her.

In a panic, Ivaylo howled and shot from his hiding place.

"NO!"

He barreled headfirst into his brother's side, knocking him over.

"Velvel, what are you thinking?" he snarled, harsher than he intended in fear.

"Your brother has sworn himself to me, wolf," the woman cut in, raising her stick. "And unless you ally yourself with me-"

"I will not!" Ivaylo snarled.

He left his brother and leapt at the lady, ready to tear her to pieces. And in that moment, several things happened. There was a sharp, powerful blow to his head and he was knocked to the ground. His father growled in alarm, his mother barked fearfully, both Mira and Alier lunged forward.

The last thing he saw was Velvel's horrified expression before his vision went black.

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**Note: **I'd love to know what everyone thinks. It was a bit hard to figure out what category it would go into, but I decided that since they're part of a Narnia fic I would put it here. Thoughts anybody?


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